The private rented sector offers an alternative to home ownership and rented social housing in Northern Ireland.

The private rented sector is able to meet many housing needs in Northern Ireland. It provides many benefits including; open access responsiveness, meeting demand from new and emerging markets, flexibility, diversity and choice in terms of property type and location, freedom from responsibility from repairs and maintenance, enabling people to house share more easily creating more shared communities.

The landlord is responsible for:

• Repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, heating and hot water systems, basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary ware.
• Safety of gas and electrical appliances.
• Fire safety of furniture and furnishings provided under the tenancy.
• Ensuring that the property is fit for habitation.
• Repairing and keeping in working order the room and water heating equipment and the
• common areas in multi-occupancy dwellings.

All private landlords must register before letting a new tenancy. To check if your landlord or their property is registered, go to:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/landlordsearch

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/searchproperty

The landlord must protect your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme and give you information about the scheme.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland Limited (tdsnorthernireland.com)

When you view a potential new home give yourself plenty of time to properly consider the room, the building and the area. Before you go to the viewing, make a list of things that are important to you and check the property against this list.

If you are considering renting a property, arrange to meet with one of the existing tenants, and find out

• why there is a vacancy
• what the landlord or agent is like to deal with
• how bills are worked out
• what privacy arrangements are, e.g. locks on individual bedroom doors
• the ages of the other tenants and whether they’re social or quiet.

You’ll want to make sure that you will be able to live peacefully with the other tenants, so if they’re party animals but you prefer the quiet life, this may not be the property for you.

You can find private rented accommodation in local newspapers under ‘property to let’ columns on property websites such as https://www.propertypal.com/ and https://www.propertynews.com/ in shop windows or notice board advertisements through estate agents or letting agents

Living in a House in Multiple Occupation

If you rent your home from a private landlord and it's a house in multiple occupation (HMO), the landlord must license the property as a HMO with the local Council.

You can ask the Council if your home is licensed as a HMO: Local councils in Northern Ireland | nidirect

At a number of hospitals there is accommodation which you can avail of.

The facilities, term and conditions and lease durations vary from site to site.  For more information on hospital accommodation in the Trust area you are working in contact the relevant Accommodation Officer

The Tenant is responsible for:

• Paying the rent and taking care of the property
• Bills such as gas, electricity and telephone, if this was agreed with your landlord

If you rent a room in a property and the landlord also lives there, you're a licensee, not a tenant.

You don’t have the same rights as a tenant.

The landlord can ask you to leave but doesn't need to give you written notice to quit.